Geranium plant named ‘Duecel’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium plant named ‘Duecel’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely basal branching habit; freely and early flowering habit; and pink-colored double flowers.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

Pelargonium peltatum cultivar ‘Duecel’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of IvyGeranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium peltatum, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duecel’.

The new Ivy Geranium is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new Ivy Geraniums with attractive flowerand foliage colors.

The new Ivy Geranium originated from a cross made by the Inventor inJune, 1999 of a proprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum identifiedas code number E-02-02, not patented, as the female, or seed, parentwith a proprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum identified as codenumber E-15-14, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. Thecultivar Duecel was discovered and selected by the Inventor as aflowering plant within the progeny from this cross in a controlledenvironment in Rheinberg, Germany in June, 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttingstaken at Rheinberg, Germany since June, 2001 has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Ivy Geranium are stable and reproduced true to typein successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Duecel’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Duecel’ as a new cultivar and distinguish itfrom other known Ivy Geranium cultivars:

1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.

2. Freely basal branching habit.

3. Freely and early flowering habit.

4. Pink-colored double flowers.

Compared to plants of the female parent, the selection E-02-02, plantsof the new Ivy Geranium are more compact, have more petaloids per flowerand differ in flower color. Compared to plants of the male parent, theselection E-15-14, plants of the new Ivy Geranium are larger and differin flower color.

The new Ivy Geranium can be compared to plants of the cultivar‘Colette’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inRheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Ivy Geranium differed from plantsof the cultivar Colette in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium were more freely branching than plantsof the cultivar Colette.

2. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium had larger leaves with longer petiolesthan plants of the cultivar Colette.

3. Leaves of plants of the new Ivy Geranium did not have a zonationpattern whereas leaves of plants of the cultivar Colette had a zonationpattern.

4. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium had larger umbels with more flowersper umbel than plants of the cultivar Colette.

5. Flowers of plants of the new Ivy Geranium had more petaloids thanflowers of plants of the cultivar Colette.

6. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium and the cultivar Colette differedslightly in flower color.

7. Plants of the new Ivy Geranium had longer peduncles than plants ofthe cultivar Colette.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Flower andfoliage colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the colorvalues cited in the detailed botanical description which accuratelydescribe the colors of the new Ivy Geranium. The photograph comprises aside perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Duecel’ grown in acontainer.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Duecel has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment, such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the summer undercommercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day and nighttemperatures about 18° C. and light levels about 4,500 foot-candles.Plants were grown with three plants per 10.5-cm container. Plants wereabout eight weeks from unrooted cuttings when the photographs and thedetailed botanical description were taken.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Pelargonium peltatum cultivar Duecel.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum identifiedas code number E-02-02, not patented.

Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum identified ascode number E-15-14, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 5 days at 20° C. Winter: About 7days at 20° C.

Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 21 days at 20° C. Winter: About 28days at 20° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit,rounded; densely foliated.

Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous. Freely basal branching,about six lateral branches per plant.

Plant height.—About 18 cm.

Plant width.—About 11 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 16 cm. Internode length: About 2.5 cm.Texture: Smooth. Color: 144A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single. Quantity of leavesper lateral branch: About six. Length: About 7.8 cm. Width: About 8.4cm. Shape: Reniform. Apex: Acute. Base: Peltate. Margin: Crenate.Venation pattern: Palmate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth;glabrous. Color: Young and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137B.Young and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 144A. Fully expandedfoliage, upper surface: 137A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface:144A. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 144A. Zonation pattern: Notobserved. Petiole: Length: About 6.1 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Color,upper and lower surfaces: 144A.

FLower description:

Flower arrangement.—Pink-colored double flowers arranged in roundedhemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf axils. Umbels displayedabove the foliage on upright peduncles. Flowers rounded in form. Umbelspersistent, flowers not persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering; at full flower, plants have aboutfive open and developing umbels with about eleven flowers per umbel.

Flowering season.—Flowering continuous spring through summer. Earlyflowering, plants begin flowering about eight weeks after planting.

Flower longevity.—Flowers last about five to seven days on the plant.

Umbel size.—Height: About 5.5 cm. Diameter: About 9 cm.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 4.5 cm. Depth (height): About 3 cm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 9.8 mm. Shape: Ovoid.Color: 144A.

Petals.—Quantity per flower: About five. Length: About 2.4 cm. Width:About 1.3 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin:Entire, sinuate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth; glabrous.Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: 73C; venationtowards base, 60C; color fading to white, 155B, with subsequentdevelopment. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: 155C.

Petaloids.—Quantity per flower: About 25. Length: About 1.9 cm. Width:About 8.3 mm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin:Entire, sinuate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color: Whenopening and fully opened, upper surface: 73C; venation towards base,60C. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: 155C.

Sepals.—Quantity per flower: About six, arranged in a single whorl.Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Elongated, tapering.Apex: Apiculate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:Smooth; glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.

Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 17.2 cm. Diameter: Less than 1 cm.Angle: Erect. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth; glabrous.Color: 144A.

Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About1 mm. Angle: Erect. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Pubescent.Color: 144A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Anther quantity per flower: About four.Anther length: About 3 mm. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther color: 63A.Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 28A. Gynoecium: Pistil quantityper flower: One. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Stigma shape: Five-parted,star-shaped. Stigma color: 53D. Style length: About 5 mm. Style color:2D. Ovary color: 144A.

Seed/fruit.—Development of seeds and fruit have not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Ivy Geraniums.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Ivy Geranium have been observedto be tolerant to temperatures ranging from 5 to 40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Ivy Geranium plantnamed ‘Duecel’, as herein illustrated and described.